Multicultural street festival for Portlaoise

The June Bank Holiday weekend will see a new street market festival in Portlaoise, which embraces the town’s multi-cultural character.

The June Bank Holiday weekend will see a new street market festival in Portlaoise, which embraces the town’s multi-cultural character.

‘Voices Across Cultures Street market festival is the bright idea of Downtown Portlaoise traders group, co-inciding with the Rose of Tralee Regional Final in the town.

All day Saturday and Sunday May 31 and June 1, visitors can savour sights, sounds and tastes of cultures from around the world, with stalls of food, craft and fashion on Main St.

An open air bazaar will be selling everything from Asian art to Moroccan yams, visitors can get African braids in their hair or wander down side streets to hear buskers, who will be competing for the Best Busker prize.

Music fans can enjoy both local and international sounds like Latin music from Cuban Orishas, the Portlaoise’ Congalese Women’s Dance Group and Stampede drummers.

The Dunamaise theatre will show Irish films while empty shop units in Hynds Square will be filled with art exhibitions and workshops and children’s entertainment.

The festival is a product of the success of the Christmas Fair in Portlaoise, combined with Cllr Rotimi Adebari’s ‘Voices Across Cultures’ concept celebrating the many cultures in Portlaoise, and a chance to show the town off to thousands of Rose of Tralee visitors.

To help with costs, Downtown Portlaoise are running a Table Quiz In Kavanagh’s this Wednesday May 14. €10 per head. There will also be a raffle on the night with some great spot prizes. It starts at 8:30pm.

The festival will be officially launched on Wednesday May 21, World Cultures Day.

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